Flags of South America Resources Flags of South America A flag is a visual representation of the cultural history of a country - what that country feels are the most important aspects of its history or its people. Symbols and colors on a flag can represent geographical information, the spirit of a nation, historical facts or have other significance. Here are the flags of the twelve independent countries in South America . Descriptions of each country’s flag are below ( click here ). Description of Each Country’s Flag Argentina – The flag of Argentina was adopted in 1812 and first raised during the Argentine War of Independence in the city Rosario. It is divided into three bands, with the top and bottom celestial blue and the ‘Sun of May’ (Sol de Mayo in Spanish) in the middle band (added in 1818). Uruguay has a Sun of May emblem in its flag as well. Bolivia – The flag of Bolivia was adopted in 1851 and has three equal horizontal bands that are tricolor: red (representing vigor), green (representing fertility) and yellow (representing mineral resources). The yellow middle band has a Bolivian coat of arms in the middle that has an Andean Condor on top.

Brazil – The flag of Brazil was adopted in 1889 and has a green background with a yellow rhombus (or parallelogram) inside and a blue globe inside the rhombus. The blue globe has a smattering of 21 white stars (27 stars in 1992 updated version) and a curved band with the national motto inscribed in it; “Ordem e Progresso” (Order and Progress in English). Chile – The flag of Chile was adopted in 1817 and has a top band that is 2/3 solid white (representing snow of the Andes mountains) and 1/3 blue (representing the sky) with a white 5-pointed star in the center and a lower band that is a solid red (representing blood of patriots who fought for independence) color. Colombia – The flag of Colombia was adopted in 1861 and three horizontal stripes colored yellow, blue and red (no symbols are on the flag). The top half of the flag is solid yellow (representing gold found in the country).

The second half of the flag is equal stripes of blue (representing the ocean) and red (representing blood shed by military heros) each 1/4 of flag total. Ecuador – The flag of Ecuador was adopted in 1860 and modified in 2009. It is similar to the flag of Colombia in that the top horizontal stripe that takes up half of the flag is yellow (representing the sun and gold) and the two horizontal stripes below are 1/4 blue (representing ocean and clear skies) and 1/4 red (blood spilled in the fight for independence). A coat of arms of Ecuador is placed smack dab in the middle of the flag. Guyana – The flag of Guayana was adopted in 1966 (achieved independence from Britain). The shape is reprentative of an arrowhead and has three interwoven sections, the first two in the shape of a pointed ‘arrow’. From left to right is first a red (representing zeal of its people) with black (representing endurance) border arrow, inset into a yellow (representing mineral wealth) with white border pointed arrow.

The rest of the background and right side is solid green (representing agricultural wealth). Paraguay – The flag of Paraguay was adopted in 1842 and unique to all flags of South America in that each side has a different symbol in the middle of the three equal horizontal bands of red, white and blue (bottom stripe). One side has a coat of arms emblem in the middle and the other side has the circular seal of the treasury in the middle with a half-moon shape border at the top of the emblem displaying the slogan: “Paz y Justicia (Peace and Justice in English). Peru – The flag of Peru was adopted in 1825. It is a very simple design with three vertical stripes of equal parts. The first stripe is red (representing blood from fighters who fought for freedom), the second middle stripe white (represents flamingos in flight or peace) and the third stripe red again. Suriname – The flag of Suriname was adopted in 1975 and has five bands of varying widths. The top and the bottom bands are equal widths of and a solid green (representing hope) color.

Half the width of the green, two white (peace and justice) stripes come next with a middle red (representing progress and love) band twice the width of the green and containing a white star in the middle (representing unity of all races). Uruguay – The flag of Uruguay was adopted in 1828 and had 17 horizontal stripes alternating white and blue. The flag was updated in 1830 to contain 9 alternating stripes. In the upper right corner of the flag is a a white background square section with a Sun of May (Sol de Mayo in Spanish) in the middle. Both Uruguay and Argentina have a Sun of May in their flags. Venezuela – The flag of Venezuela was adopted in 1811 and altered to its current version in 2006. It has three vertical stripes of equal width: yellow, blue and red. The colors are all primary colors and represents “… a place where primary colors are not distorted”. Source: Wikipedia Eight white stars in a half-moon shape are in the center of the middle blue stripe and the top yellow horizontal stripe has a small coat of arms in the upper left-hand corner.

Bolivia State Symbols, Song, Flags and More - Worldatlas.com Bird: Andean Condor Coat of Arms: Coat of Arms: Bolivia's coat of arms consists of a cartouche surrounded by Bolivian flags, muskets, laurel branches, and an Andean Condor atop. The ten stars in the border of the cartouche symbolize the nine departments of Bolivia, as well as the former province Litoral. Mount Potosi sits in the center of the cartouche, with an alpaca standing next to a tree and some wheat. All are symbolic of the natural resources of Bolivia. The crossed rifles behind the cartouche represent the struggle for independence, while the axe and Phrygian hood represent liberty and freedom. The laurel branches are symbolic of peace, and the condor perched upon the shield are symbolic of a willingness to defend the nation and its liberty.

Flower: Kantuta and the Patujú Motto: "Morir antes que esclavos vivir." "We'd rather die than live as slaves." See Also Bolivian national coat of arms and emblems This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website Bolivian national coat of arms and emblems Bolivia Other sites: A very interesting website regarding the images and legislation of the Bolivian Coats of Arms throughout its history: Heraldry ; decrees ; defacing ; gallery (from 1825 to 1968) reported by Estebán Rivera, 07 Oct 2006 reported by António Martins, 19 Aug 2005 Usage The Bolvian State flag includes the coat of arms. Kristian Söderberg 04 May 2003 Design The official arms has a oval border, yellow in the upper part with caption "Republica Boliviana" (red, also known with caption "Bolivia"), and blue in the lower part with six five pointed yellow stars.

In centre is a llama of Andes, an alpaca, a small andine house (not quoted in the law), a palm, a sun, a mountain (the Potosí), a prairie and a sheaf of weath. The background must be white in the upper part and green in the lower part. Jaume Ollé, 11 Jun 1999 The coat of Arms of Bolivia has now 10 stars, for all departments, including the lost maritime one . Armand du Payrat, 10 Feb 1999 In Webster’s Concise Encyclopedia of Flags, 1985 [ mch85a ]: The arms consist of an oval shield depicting a landscape with a stylized illustration of Mount Potosi in bright sunshine and, in the foreground, a South American alpaca, a breadfruit tree, and a wheat sheaf, with a forest and a house in the middle distance. The upper golden border of the oval bears the name of the country BOLIVIA in red letters, and the lower blue border is charged with nine gold five-pointed stars representing the departments of the country.

Behind the oval there are two crossed cannon barrels, six Bolivian flags, four rifles, a Phrygian cap of liberty, an Inca battle-axe and a laurel wreath; perched on the oval shield is an Andean condor. Jarig Bakker, 13 Feb 2000 In Webster’s New International Dictionary of ca. 1920 [ wbs24 ], I found the a Coat of Arms: Mountain to the right and two hills to the left. To the right of the mountain is a tree. Left under the hill is an alpaca in red (running colors). Left to the top of the mountain is a golden sun on a sky-blue field. The shield is surrounded by a band; upper half is in gold with black inscription "BOLIVIA"; lower half in light blue with nine 5-pointed stars. Left and right to the shield are hanging flags (red, yellow and green). On top of the shield is a bird, which looks very much like a redbrown eagle. (Wings are comparably too short for a condor).

Jarig Bakker, 25 Jun 1999 Development A very interesting website shows a gallery with all the coats of arms from 1825 to 1968. In total, 69 coats of arms in a period of 143 years. I believe that’s a true record! (However possibly not all of them national coats of arms but also State Arms. Estebán Rivera, 07 Oct 2006 Calderón & Cortéz [ a2d01 ] says that: the first Bolivian coat of arms was adopted in 1825 and had five stars representing the five departments forming the Bolivar Republic (as it was called back then): Chuquisaca , La Paz , Potosí , Cochabamba and Santa Cruz . In 1826 new arms were adopted forming the basis for the present arms. These had six stars, a star for Oruro was added. These arms were revised in 1851, these had nine stars with stars added for Litoral (created in 1829), Tarija (created 1831) and Beni (created 1842).

In 1867 a tenth star was added for the departmant of Tarata, created out of Cochabamba. In 1868 an eleventh star was added because the department of La Paz was split in two, one retaining the name of La Paz, the other becoming the department of Mejillones. In 1871 the arms returned to nine stars; probably the departemental changes were undone. In 1888 the present form of the arms were adopted, with nine stars (so the loss of Litoral was not reflected in the arms). And in 1961 a tenth star was added for Pando (created 1938). Mark Sensen, 11 Mar 2002 The tenth star was added to the coat of arms in times of president Gral. René Barrientos Ortuño (1966-1969). It was pretension of Bolivia to seaside department of Litoral lost in war of 1879. Source: Velásquez, 1983 [ vzz83 ].

Victor Lomantsov, 09 Mar 2002 The book [ smi80 ] still shows the 9-star version (on blue disc ). Željko Heimer, 11 Mar 2001 A star was added to the national coat of arms in 1961 to represent the department of Pando . From Luis Eduardo Arce Cortéz & Ivette Durán Calderón’s Tratado internacional de vexilología y manual cívico del Boliviano [ a2d01 ]: Ley del 10 Noviembre de 1961 Escudo de Armas Presidente Constiticional de la Républica Por cuanto el H. Congreso Nacional ha sancionado la siguiente ley: El Congreso Nacional decreta: Art. único.- Agrégase al Escudo de Armas de la Nación, una estrella más en representación simbólica de la creación del departamento de Pando. Comuníquese al Ejecutivo para los finos consuguintes. Sala de Sesiones del H. Congreso Nacional La Paz, 26 de octubre de 1961.

Mark Sensen, 09 Mar 2002 Coat of arms of 1825-1826 image by André Godinho, 20 Jul 2003 According to an official Historia de la Bandera Boliviana [ b9oXX ], these are the national arms as adopted on 17 August 1825 (but not used on the flag ) which were, in any case, replaced in 1826 . Christopher Southworth, 20 Jul 2003 Anything below this line was not added by the editor of this page. The Symbols and Culture of Peru The Flag Created in 1820, it is said that the colors of the Peruvian flag, red and white, occurred to General San Maritn during the liberation campaign, when watching a flight of "parihuanas", a variety of flamingo with red wings and white breast, after awaking from a siesta in the desert of Paracas. The flag comprises a rectangular of linen divided by two diagonals into four fields, white at the top and bottom and red on the sides.

Since this pattern presented some inconvenience, in March 1822 it was decided to take the form of three horizontal stripes, the top and bottom ones red and the middle white. However, since this new flag could be confused with the Spanish one, in May the same year the stripes were changed to vertical ones, the two outside ones being red and the center one white. National Coat of Arms A Congressional law passed by Simon Bolivar in 1825 consecrated the Coat of Arms of Peru. This comprises three fields: sky blue to upper right, with a vicuï¿½a looking inwards; white to the upper left with a cinchona tree and red in the horizontal lower field, with a golden cornucopia spilling out gold coins. These symbols represent the natural wealth of Peru. On the top, like a crest, is a civic crown of oak seen from the side. On both sides the Coat of Arms has a flag and a standard. The Andes The Peruvian Andes occupy the central part of the Andean region of South America.

Divided into the northern Andes and southern Andes they are geographically indicated by the highlands - or sierra - inhabited by man in the high valleys from 2,500 to 3,000 meters above sea level. With more than 1000 mountains over 5,000 meters above sea level, and dozens over 6,000 meters above sea level, this colossal geographical formation is the most important articulate hub of Peruvian culture. The multiple weather varieties range from freezing at the summits to damp and suffocatingly hot in the valleys. The first food gathering societies in these mountains are ten thousand years old, from which developed civilizations such as Chavin, Tiahuanaco and, later on, the Inca Empire. The Terraces These are one of the great manifestations on Incaic engineering. The Incas divided the slopes of the hills they climbed into enormous steps from top to bottom. These terraces, separated by pirkas or stone walls, were filled with fertile earth for planting crops and rain water was used to irrigate them. These gigantic steps that combine function with beauty also prevented landslides due to rains.

The Inca Empire A powerful civilization that finally extended in the XVI Century from Cusco, its capital, to the ancient kingdom of Quito and a great part of what is today Chile and Bolivia. Legend has it that the Empire was founded by the mythical pair of Inca Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo, descendants from the supreme god Inti, or Sun. The Incas formed a military and theocratical state based on the large mobilization of tax paying peoples and the control of agricultural surplus. In order to administer both factors, they employed complex recording systems called quipus. The word quipu means "knot" in Quechua and refers to a mnemotechnical system of a series of cords of different lengths and colors, with knots representing units on a decimal base. The interpreter of these knots was called the quipucamayoc, a sort of state inspection and control functionary, who read them. Rivalling the advanced system of administration were the Incas' agriculture systems, ceramics, gold and silver work, and they also left monumental architecure and surprisingly developed hydraulic works.

The Condor Sacred bird of the Incas, the Vultur gryphus can live 50 years, stands 1.30 meters tall with a wing span of more than three meters. Able to fly almost without moving its wing, the great bird flies from its nest in the heights of the Andes (5,000 meter a.s.l.) down to the beaches where it feeds on dead sea lions. An Ancestral carrion bird, it has no song and the male only emits squawks with his tongue when courting the female. They are monogamous, with black plumage with white splashes at the end of its extremites and a white collar. The head and neck have no feathers. The male has a great crest and numerous skin folds which give him a majestic appearance, although not very friendly. Hunting the condor is forbidden but in certain traditional Andean festivals he is tied to the back of a bull, representing the conflict between conquered and conqueror.

Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail After having remained hidden from the world for more thant four centuries, the architectural complex of Machu Picchu - "old mountain" in Quechua - was discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911. Situated 112 kilometers from Cusco on the edge of the Urubamba canyon, at 2,350 meters above sea level, it covers an area of 32,590 kmsï¿½. It is said that the Incas built it as a religious sanctuary made up of houses, places of worship, hydraulic systems and terraces. The Inca Trail is one way of reaching the fortress, just as the ancient people of the Empire arrived on foot, by stone paths, steps and tunnels that cross the Urubamba river and extend for more than 40 kilometers. The Coca Leaf On October 12, 1492, when Columbus landed on the Isle of Guanahani, the Indians offered handfuls of dried leaves. It is thought these may have been coca leaves. What is true is that coca had already been a traditional crop for 6,500 years.

The sacred plant of the Incas, this leaf has an important place in Andean culture, in which the essence is believed to evoke wisdom and knowledge. It is used in multiple ways medicinally, as well as being a palliative for fatigue and hunger. Nowadays the use of it in the illicit narcotic trade has had a very negative influence on the image of a plant which has significant symbolic and cultural worth. South American Camel Family The llama, alpaca, vicuï¿½a and the guanaco are mammals of the Auchenia family. They were used by ancient Peruvians as beasts of burden, and also to provide wool and meat. Moreover, they were sacrificed as offerings in religious rites. The vicuï¿½a - a very timid animal that lives on the high, lonely parts of the mountain ranges - offers the finest and most exquisite fiber in the world, very much in demand in international markets. Until a decade ago this animal was on the endangered list, but in 1990 herds were counted at a total of 65,000 thanks to conservation projects aimed at sustainable exploitation of these animals with the direct and constant participation of native communities.

Cotton and Textiles Cotton has been the constant companion of Peruvian man since time immemorial. From its fibres the first dresses were made and the first mantels and pre-Inca funerary bales woven - in particular in Paracas - and have astonished the world. In northern Peru cotton Gossypium barbadense grows in colors, a rustic plant that produces a long and elastic fibre in brown, reddish, lilac and yellow tones. Cotton is also attributed with medicinal uses against "shucaque" and evil eye, and herpes type A of the lips. There are 177 genetic derivations still not commercially developed. The most popular varieties are Tangï¿½is and Pima, a Peruvian contribution that the international textile industry demands incessantly. The Lady of Ampato Called affectionately "Juanita" and then renamed the Lady of Ampato, this mummy of a young Inca girl about 14 years old, was found in 1995 in a perfectly preserved condition at 6,130 meters a.s.l., on the top of the snow peak, Ampato, in the Department of Arequipa by archaeologists from the Catholic University of Arequipa.

It is believed that about 500 years ago she was sacrificed to the Opus, mountains that the Incas considered as protective gods of the cities. Recently exhibited in Washington D.C. by the National Geographic Society, studies are able to show more specifically the characteristics and customs of ancient people in the Inca Empire. Nasca Lines Dr. Paul Kosok of Long Island University, New York, made them well known in 1939 after flying over the Nasca zone and seeing immense drawings of animals and anthropomorphic figures. These mysterious signs are also associated with the name of Maria Reiche, a German mathematician who has studied them closely for more than 40 years. According to her theory, they form a gigantic agricultural and religious calendar. The principal figures are from the Nasca culture (200 BC to year 500). The best known are the Spider, the Monkey and the Humming bird, but the largest are the Lizard (180 meters), the "Guanay" (280 meters) and the Pelican (285 meters). Among these figures the most enigmatic is that known as the Extraterrestrial.

Gold and Silver Precious metals had a socio-religious significance in ancient Peru. They were used as cult objects and as ornaments indicating the rank of chiefs and priests. The most ancient evidence of precious stone craftsmanship dates back to 1500 BC, according to some sheets of gold found in Waywaka (Andahuaylas). But it was during the Inca Empire that the gold and silver work reached its highest point. Used in a natural state, just like silver and other minerals, gold was found in the sand of rivers and open face mines. Peru is the seventh largest mining country in the world and the first gold producer in Latin America. In the last five years gold production has tripled and continues to grow. The Lord of Sipï¿½n A tomb found in 1987 in Huaca Rajada (Lambayaque) by Water Alva and other archaeologists of the Brunning Museum, was then considered to be the most important archaeological discovery in the last 25 years. The funerary grave, on a platform connected to two monumental pyramids, contained a fantastic sarcophagus ornamented in gold, silver and copper, symbolizing the personage's religious and military standing.

Some 1700 years old, it testifies to the high degree of artistic quality of the Moche civilization (Centuries I and IV) that formed regional domains even after the arrival of the conquistadors. Also, they were the first to make irrigation systems on a large scale and invented most pre-Hispanic metallurgical techniques. Chan Chan Located in La Libertad (Trujillo), Chan-Chan or "Sun-Sun" was the capital of the vast Chimu Empire. The largest mud city in the world, declared by UNESCO to be a Cultural Heritage of Humanity, was built in the XII and XIII Centuries. It covers 20 sq. kilometers of land with dispersed remains of palaces, living areas, cemeteries, gardens and platforms for religious ceremonies, surrounded by walls up to 13 meters high. The adobe walls are adorned by high relief cuts of exquisite geometrical designs and animals. The clay in Chan-Chan contains unique artistic features and the evidence of a complex language, associated with the liturgy and customs of the dominant castes.

Totora Seahorses Totora is a slender, spiky vegetable reed that grows in boglike wetlands, and when harvested the stalks must be left to dry for a month, until they are ready to be used as raw material for making unique balsa rafts called "totora seahorses", the ocean going craft of fishermen since pre-Inca times. The totora reeds grow in the district of Huanchaco in Trujillo, North of Lima, and it is the best place to see them and to practice fishing on this thousand-year-old boat. The Sea of Grau The Peruvian sea, with 300 kilometers of tropical beaches and a coast some 2,300 kilometers long, going about 200 miles out to sea, sustains the third largest fishing industry in the world and has the greatest biological diversity on the planet. It is host to more than thirty species of mammals, 700 species of fish and 17 million muttons of biomass.

Through the waters of the Sea of Grau, named in honor of the hero in the Pacific War, runs the cold, plankton rich Humboldt current that generates a prolific chain of fish, mollusks, crustaceans and guano birds. The latter was Peru's greatest wealth in the last century, since the birds formed mountains of natural manure which was hightly prized. Among the majority of species are sardines, horse mackerel, and hake, used mainly for making fish oil and fish meal, for which Peru holds first place in the world. Francisco Pizarro The Conquistador of the Incas was born in Trujillo de Extremadura, Spain, in 1478. In Panama, he formed a company with Diego de Almagro and Hernando de Luque to explore the lands to the South, where it was said there existed a kingdom of gold called Peru. History has reported well the scene of the Gallo Island where only 13 men remained while the others abandoned the company and returned to Panama, discouraged. In 1532, after founding the first Spanish city in South America, he took Inca Atahualpa prisoner.

The Inca was in the middle of a civil war against his brother, Huascar, bringing the end of the Empire and the beginning of the long procession of cultural transformations. In 1541 in Lima Pizarro died assasinated by the Almagristas, in Government House. The Marinera It was Abelardo Gamarra, "The Rascal", who baptized as Marinera this mestizo dance of reminiscences originating from Spanish and black ancestors and even the natives. It is a dance of courtship and of love where the man insists on compliance despite his partner's coquettish elusiveness. Elegant and complex, it is one of the rare dances where the woman marks the rhythm and leads her partner. Instruments associated with it are the Spanish guitar, the Creole box and the African jawbone. Seviche According to extended hypotheses, this word comes from the ancient Moche language, although there also exists a similar name and dish in Arab cuisine. The dish was born of the necessity to conserve meat and fish by marinating it.

Although ancient Peruvian people did not know the lemon, they did know of other acid fruits such as the "churuba", the "camu-camu" and the passion fruit, whose acidic juice permitted adequate conservation. Later, when generalized in popular menus on the coast, new components were added such as red onions, hot peppers and garlic and lettuce until with Andean migrations it ended up as a dish incorporating boiled sweet potatoes and corn on the cob. According the INC (Peruvian National Institute of Culture) the word Cebiche that refers to the typical Peruvian dish based on fish cooked with lemon Seviche, most be written and referred to as Seviche, they based this change in the origin of the name, in that sense this April 17, 2004 (based on an official law) issued on that date the dish most be called and spelled this way Seviche. The Huayno and the Quena A musical item of pre-Hispanic origin, its name derived form the Quechua word "wayna" meaning young. It is said that it is the oldest dance for young couples in Peru.

It varies insofar as rhythm and melody are concerned, according to region, there being pieces of deep romaticism or sadness, to celebrations of collective joy. The Huayno is accompanied mainly by the quena, the Peruvan musical instrument, par excellence, which is made of mud, cane or wood, although it has also been found in silver, gold and bone in pre-Hispanic archeological remains. Profoundly sentimental, its length does not exceed 30 cms, and it is mainly pentatonic. Peruvian Paso Horses The walk of the Peruvian paso horse is unique yet perhaps it provides the most comfortable way to ride. Unlike trotting horses that interchange the legs on both sides of the body, the legs of the Peruvan paso amble, that is, sway from side to side, using the hooves on one side and then the other, with singular grace. It is fortunately a work animal that is born with this unusual gait. The one riding it is called a "chalan", and tradition calls for the rider to sport a straw hat with a wide brim and a white poncho, preferably of linen.

Under the horse' saddle, a San Pedro fleece covering is used, a centuries old gem of local craft. Andean Crops Of the ten cereals found in the world, four are native to Peru: quinoa, kiwicha, corn and caï¿½ihua, all of them invaluable sources of nutrition. Kiwicha and Quinoa have been considered by NASA as the ideal food for astronauts. The Andean region's varied geography permitted ancient Peruvians to cultivate and develop an incredible variety of species and even to study them deeply. The tubercle known as "mashua" for example, is said to have aphrodisiac properties, and many turn to a certain corn as the equivalent of the world famous Korean ginseng. Potatoes One of the most valuable legacies of ancient Peruvians to humanity is the potato, a tubercle of excellent food properties that has saved millions of human beings from hunger and malnutrition, and of which there exist hundreds of genetic varieties in Peru. The Incas had religious respect for it and its was a basic staple in their diet. It must have been Sir Francis Drake who took the first seeds back to Europe, after landing on the Peruvian coast.

Pisco Pisco, miracle of the fertile Peruvian desert and a concoction of both Indian and Spanish society, is a grape alcohol in which the culture of the vine, the quality of the land, the climate and the casks in which it lies play a part. It is stored in half buried, large, conical clay receptacles. The name in Quechua means "bird" and alludes to an ancient coastal civilization - the Piscos - devoted to the production of these vessels. Made from the distillation of warm must, the production of Pisco is a Peruvian tradition dating back to the introduction of the vine in the middle of the XVI Century. With Pisco, one makes Pisco Sour, a Peruvian cocktail which has won a name for itself in the best bars in the world. To make it one uses egg white, sugar, pisco, lemon juice, syrup, Angostura bitter, crushed ice and ground cinnamon. Asparagus This green or white vegetable with straight and edible stalks though a non-traditional crop vegetable, has been most successful on the international market.

In Peru there are crops year round, thanks to competitive advantages offered by the geography and climate of the coastal valleys of Lima, La Libertad and Inca which have become the auspicious areas of cultivation. Chillis This is a species that has multiple varirations of shape, size, color and spiciness in Peru. There are red, purple, yellow and green ones, some as long and pointed as carrots, or as small and round as a cherry. Someone who does not know about it and eats aji for the first time usually describes its effect as having a handful of glowing embers placed in one's mouth. Rocotto is perhaps the more aromatic and tasty, while frequently being even hotter than mentioned. Ground and dried, aji can be used also as a full bodied pepper. Biodiversity With 84 of the 104 known life zones on the planet, Peru ranks among the first in the world in biodiversity. It is the first in birds, with 1,701 species, second in primates with 34 species, third in mammals with 361, fifth in reptiles with 297 and fifth in amphibians with 251.

The Manu National Park and the Tambopata-Candamo National Reserve on the southern Amazon, are a paradise of megadiversity. In just one tree "shihuahuaco" (Asterix) of Madre de Dios, entomologists found 5,000 specimens of insects, 80% of them new to science. A first Peruvian genetic catalogue of 3,000 plants has classified 90 of ornamental value, 100 useful for making tools, 110 for dyes and tints, 35 for drinks, 36 for essential oils and waxes, 334 for use as organic insecticides, 401 for timber yielding, 524 as edibles and 213 for medicinal use. Birds With 1,701 species, Peru is the country with the most bird species in the world. The Tambopata Reserve and the Manu National Park in Madre de Dios are the privileged places in our jungle insofar as ecological heritage and aviafauna are concerned.

In each of them there have been registered more than 500 species of birds and their forests there are many more, still unclassified. Exalted by some ornithologists as the national bird of Peru, the Gallito de las Rocas, Rupicola Peruviana, native of the jungle and on the endangered list, is one of the most delightful species. Orange and intense blue in color, the males carry out their mating rites in bands, dancing in front of the females, which have brown plumage, until they choose their mate. The Amazon River Francisco de Orellana discovered it in 1542, although some affirm that it was Juan Vicente Yaï¿½ez Pinzon, commander of one of Columbus' caravels, "La Niï¿½a", who navigated it for the first time in 1500. The river has 1,000 trubutaries and its basin - the largest in the world - rises in Cuzco and covers the territory of several South American countries, up to seven million square metres (two-thirds the size of Europe).

With a wandering and twisting course, the Amazon has a median force of 150,000 mï¿½/per second - the largest on the planet - and annually launches some 6.6 billion mï¿½ of water into the Atlantic Ocean. But, even more, the Amazon is the source of life for the most varied and linguistic cultures in the world. Orchids Due to its unusual geography, Peru is one of the countries in the world with the largest variety of orchids. Although only 1,800 are classified, some 3,000 are said to grow on the Eastern Andean slopes, in particular in the High Amazon. They make up 10% of all the species in the world. The most important varieties in international markets are the butterfly, wasp, spider, shoe, ballerina, queen, swan and the classic orchid. Exports of orchids have become increasingly significant as foreign currency earners. Cultural Diversity Few countries can boast a larger cultural diversity than Peru, a melting pot of races, languages, and cultures that have adapted to an extremely diverse and complex environment.

A well-known theory holds Peruvian millenial civilization finds its roots in ancient Amazon cultures whose peoples migrated from Eastern Andean valleys to the High Andes and then to the Pacific coastal plains. Spanish, Quechua, Aymara and more that 40 Amazon languages are spoken in modern Peru, a country where "bloods mix" and is characterized by a delicate geographical, spatial and natural resource balance. Precise organization, creativity, and a strong Indian presence with powerful values and traditional beliefs are all part of a largely (70%) urban society that is cosmopolitan, culturally integrated and modern. Shamans and Ayahuasca Folk medicine, one of Peru's oldest cultural traditions, is practiced by shamans or healers whose powers of foresight and ancestral knowledge make them interpreters of their culture's religions. "Fright" or "ham" resulting from another man's hate is the most common disease cured by shamans. Sensory knowledge of the world does not suffice in Andean culture. Ingestion of substances like "Sampedro", a cactus extract, or "Ayahuasca", distilled from an Amazonian vine, builds a bridge to the past and helps reconstruct painful experiences addressed by healers.

Popular Religiousness More churches were built in Peru during Colonial times than anywhere else in Latin America. To put a final seal on the defeat of Indian gods and idolatry, the temples were built over pre-Columbian sanctuaries and accompanied by an aggressive policy to establish Catholic rituals like Corpus Christi, celebrated on the same day as the Init Raymi or Festival of the Sun. Alien to the church's orthodoxy, indigenous cults and rituals originating in Indian religious syncretism hide functions of the Andean vision of the world under a Catholic cloak. In their facades and altars, colonial churches exhibit innumerable icons whose saint's faces and clothes are of undoubted Indian origin. African devotion for its part gave rise to the Lord of Miracles, an image painted by an Angolan black on a wall that survived the catastrophic 1650 earthquake in Lima. Since 1687, the image parades the streets of Lima every October. Another five saints were born in XVII century Peru, among them Santa Rosa de Lima and San Martin de Porres who are also venerated in the Philippines and Africa.

Question: Which country's flag has a Condor and Llama on it?
Answer: Bolivia